Policies on child avatars on mature or adult sims

[Billy Fretwerk]

Is ther any LL policies on child avatars on mature or adult sims?

[MoiraKathleen]

36 minutes ago, Aasha Kohime said:

I've been trying to get a reliable answer on this myself. Not even SL's staff have given me a common answer. When I ask whether children are allowed outside of G sims the response seems to depend on the personal feelings of who answers (combined with personal anecdotes) rather than the actual stance from LL.

I've personally witnessed a Linden walking around in a crowded dance club that had at least one child avatar on the dance floor
I've seen heaps of combat-system and role-play sims in my time that included at least some amount of children as characters without trouble.

But if I ask what the rules surrounding them are the responses range from child avatars being innately reportable in and of themselves, to everything goes for child avatars as long as the child avatar itself is not participating in (or in the immediate vicinity of) sexual activity.

So, in all sincerity, if someone has a citation-able answer (i.e. that isn't a projection of their personal opinion of what it should be) it'd help myself and others grasp the parameters of what's allowed.

The policy for people under 18 who create an account - whether or not their avatar looks like an adult, a child, or some other form, is http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Teens_in_Second_Life .   

------------------------------

If you are referring to an avatar that looks like a child (but most likely is controlled by an account where the person is 18 years old or older), the following quote is from http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Adult_Content_FAQ 

Are child avatars allowed on Adult regions?

Yes, child avatars are allowed in Adult regions, as long as they are controlled by a person who has verified themselves to be at least 18 years old. However, the avatar should not be in proximity to sexual content or activity; and must obey the policy prohibiting sexual *****.

Since Adult regions by design will often contain sexual content, child avatars should use caution in visiting Adult regions.

----------------------------

So the policy does not prohibit child avatars controlled by a person at least 18 years old from Adult or Moderate regions, however land owners can restrict whomever they want from their own land, be it a child avatar or an avatar with red hair, or a non-human avatar - so many Adult regions will prohibit child avatars (or avatars under a certain height or avatars of a certain type that could be construed as a child avatar).   The fact that the land owner can be more restrictive is probably why you get answers that depend on the personal feelings of someone, or are told personal anecdotes about it.  

Another thing to realize is that not all regions rated Adult are full of sexual content or visible sexual activity.  Also, a "child avatar" does not usually mean that the person who created the account is a child.

 

[Peggy Paperdoll]

What are Linden Lab's policies towards Child Avatars

Specific policies about child avatars can be found in section 8.2.iii of the Terms of Service. Additional information on the policies concerning ageplay can be found elsewhere on this wiki.

Stuff to do: This section was compiled by Residents and NEEDS to cite specific sources to substantiate Linden Lab's stance and avoid confusion. Knowledge Base articles or secondlife.com legal documents are required; "I heard it from a friend" or "I got it on a notecard" are NOT acceptable. Otherwise, DO NOT consider the below to be accurate, official policy. -Torley

 

 

Policies towards child avatars are largely focused on the actions of the avatars, not the avatars themselves.

Child avatars are allowed within Second Life.[1] A child avatar, even within a mature or adult region (but not participating in adult (in this case, sexual) ) activities is allowed. A child avatar is allowed do everything any other avatar is, with the following exceptions:

• Child avatars in sexual situations (sexual congress obviously, though it is unclear beyond this) are not allowed and abuse reportable (ARable).

• Public promotion (classified listing, profile, etc.) of sexual situations with child avatars is not allowed and ARable.

• Creating areas for the purpose of sexual ageplay is not allowed and is ARable. This includes having items with sexual content (sexual poseballs or equipment) in proximity to items traditionally associated with children (swingsets, etc.)

• Indicating that the *real age* of a child avatar (as opposed to a stated SL/role playing age) is below main grid age is not allowed and ARable.

• Child avatar nudity has been called into question as well. While no language specific to nudity was included in the initial policies, child avatar nudity of the genital or chest regions, including in otherwise non-sexual situations (skin vendors, for example) can be a violation. This also applies to parcel descriptions: nudity or "clothing optional" language can not be included in a parcel description on a kid-specific area.

Note that child avatars are allowed on PG, Mature, and even Adult public parcels, provided with the latter that they are adult verified. Note that this does not necessarily apply to private parcels where one has the option to eject or ban as desired. The allowance of child avatars on adult rated land such as Zindra does not invalidate any of the above rules.

As with all things, context is key, and err on the side of caution.

 

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Child_Avatar

 

------------------------------

 

So, the answer is "YES".

[Perrie Juran]

I know this is old but I am adding this information because someone recently cited this thread claiming (if I understood them correctly) that it was ok for a Child Ava to be around (in proximity to) Adult Content.  They may have been taking the ommision of this information in this thread as 'permission.'

 

Are child avatars allowed on Adult regions?

"Yes, child avatars are allowed in Adult regions, as long as they are controlled by a person who has verified themselves to be at least 18 years old. However, the avatar should not be in proximity to sexual content or activity; and must obey the policy prohibiting sexual ageplay.

Since Adult regions by design will often contain sexual content, child avatars should use caution in visiting Adult regions."

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Adult_Content_FAQ#Are_child_avatars_allowed_on_A...

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Yes,   LL says that, like everyone else, people using Child Avatars must abide by the ToS and Community Standards (and in the case of Child Avatars on Adult Sims, the Policy Disallowing Ageplay is particularly relevant) and that if landowners want to prohibit particular sorts of avatar on their land, they may do.

But there's no general prohibition, if that's what you're asking.

[Horacio Collins]

In my opinon child avatars should not be allowed in mature or adult sims or clubs period.. whether they be adult verified .. by linden labs .. it is just wrong that adults would be on sl as children .. to me that means they really have some hidden issue in their life..if they want ot be a child avatar then restrict them to g rated areas only .. thanks fo rallowing me to post this

[Fionalein]

18 hours ago, rav3nw1ld said:

The sooner The better linden lab's conform to this the better it will be , restricting child avatar's to PG rated sims only The child is what it plays no matter what age it is if you play a child avatar then restriction's should be in place.

This should go without saying for the safety of those concerned if child avatar's do not like this then don't pretend to be a child be adult.what they play on is the simpathy a child would get and the attention that it seek's.

keep them out of  M RATED  AND  ADULT SIM'S and some child avatar's have a foul mouth which is wrong too plus they act all innocent but are far from it since they are  people that are usually around the age of consent playing them.  SO LINDEN LAB'S LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU AND DON'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT YOU TOO ARE RESPONSIBLE BY ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN COMMON SENSE TELL'S YOU TO PROTECT  CHILD AVI'S   SO  RESTRICT THEIR AGE AS A CHILD  IN REAL LIFE ( PG RATED) YOU WOULDN'T LET YOUR OWN CHILDREN GO TO AN ADULT PLACE NOW WOULD YOU ?

 

Why?

You know there are (almost) adults behind the keyboards of those avis? And the adults behind keyboards can enter adult sims. There are other rating reasons besides the sexy stuff™, like violence. Really, why shouldn't you want to let others not play child avis in zombie survival sims?

PS: and for Christ's sake: Buy a new keyboard, your caps lock is broken 

Edited May 8, 2018 by Fionalein

[Ethan Paslong]

9 minutes ago, rav3nw1ld said:

so forget about TOS

this is the kids policy... :

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Teens_in_Second_Life

 

all others are considered to be adults.

ch*ld play is something totally different and as far i seen in all my SL years always taken serious care for and is looked at by the abuse teams.

But... thinking something is not ok, does not always mean it is really not ok. LL has in general excellent ways to have a look at that.

And of course.. like everywhere, sometimes things go wrong. If you encounter the same situation, with the same people, AR again... but stay to the facts, not venting about a sore toenail... and not in CAPS

 

Edited May 7, 2018 by Ethan Paslong
to prevent a headache removed caps....

[Callum Meriman]

13 hours ago, rav3nw1ld said:

YOU WOULDN'T LET YOUR OWN CHILDREN GO TO AN ADULT PLACE NOW WOULD YOU ?

The good thing about ranting, irrational people is - when they out themselves - you can preban them in your estate. That ensures other people, decent people, don't need to deal with repeats of that sort of unrealistic, unwarranted, caps-lock rubbish.

[Aasha Kohime]

I've been trying to get a reliable answer on this myself. Not even SL's staff have given me a common answer. When I ask whether children are allowed outside of G sims the response seems to depend on the personal feelings of who answers (combined with personal anecdotes) rather than the actual stance from LL.

I've personally witnessed a Linden walking around in a crowded dance club that had at least one child avatar on the dance floor
I've seen heaps of combat-system and role-play sims in my time that included at least some amount of children as characters without trouble.

But if I ask what the rules surrounding them are the responses range from child avatars being innately reportable in and of themselves, to everything goes for child avatars as long as the child avatar itself is not participating in (or in the immediate vicinity of) sexual activity.

So, in all sincerity, if someone has a citation-able answer (i.e. that isn't a projection of their personal opinion of what it should be) it'd help myself and others grasp the parameters of what's allowed.

 

Edit:

Reading through the answers again I find I missed exactly what I was looking for.

Thank you Perrie

Edited September 12, 2018 by Aasha Kohime

[LittleMe Jewell]

One additional note -- nudity, in and of itself, is not considered "sexual content".  Child avatars are allowed on nude beaches, but there must be no sexual activity going on and no sexual objects in the vicinity.

[Lindal Kidd]

On 1/14/2016 at 10:31 PM, Horacio Collins said:

 .. it is just wrong that adults would be on sl as children .. to me that means they really have some hidden issue in their life..

Intolerant much?  Perhaps you are right that such people have an issue in their life.  But, when you think about it, MOST people in SL have some issue, something that SL lets them express, or overcome.  We come here to do things we can't do in real life.  We come in order to become something that we wish we were.  If our real lives were perfect, we'd have no need to spend hours in front of a monitor, playing out a personal fantasy.  Even Philip Rosedale, the creator of SL, is reported to have said that "Second Life is a nation of crips."  There's some truth hidden in that horribly insensitive remark.

What's YOUR issue?

[Nalates Urriah]

8 hours ago, Lindal Kidd said:

Intolerant much?  Perhaps you are right that such people have an issue in their life.  But, when you think about it, MOST people in SL have some issue, something that SL lets them express, or overcome.  We come here to do things we can't do in real life.  We come in order to become something that we wish we were.  If our real lives were perfect, we'd have no need to spend hours in front of a monitor, playing out a personal fantasy.  Even Philip Rosedale, the creator of SL, is reported to have said that "Second Life is a nation of crips."  There's some truth hidden in that horribly insensitive remark.

What's YOUR issue?

There are two types of people... no joke, as great a segue as that is... those that know they have biases and prejudices and those totally oblivious to to theirs.

The later group has the majority of the people that want to force others to live by their biases and prejudices. We have a name for that...

[Callum Meriman]

1 hour ago, Yasojith said:

I doubt that after reading the following from Second Life wiki

This is a 2012 thread. The discussion has also been done to death.

The Wiki is user created, it's not an official document. The text you quoted was entered by Marianne McCann on 29 April 2009 a plain resident, and a kid, not by a Linden. In fact, if you look at the edit history of the page most is the work of Marianne McCann not a LInden.

As always, if you feel someone is doing something against the TOS them please AR them. That is far more effective then dragging up 6 year old questions.

Edited October 9, 2018 by Callum Meriman
Got the date wrong, it's from Marianne in 2009, including spelling mistakes.

[LittleMe Jewell]

5 hours ago, Yasojith said:

I doubt that after reading the following from Second Life wiki regarding child avatar.

• Child avatar nudity has been called into question as well. While no language specific to nudity was included in the initial policies, child avatar nudity of the genital or chest regions, including in otherwise non-sexual situations (skin vendors, for example) can be a violation. This also applies to parcel descriptions: nudity or "clothing optional" language can not be included in a parcel description on a kid-specific area. Source: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Child_Avatar

That means, nude child avatar standing in nude beach "can be a violation". Even showing nude skins of a child avatar in skin vendor "can be a violation". 

I bolded the critical words here (in your final sentence):  CAN BE

That means that it is NOT ALWAYS a violation, but CAN BE in certain situations.  If you are concerned about something, submit an AR and be sure that your screen is showing the questionable content/avatars when you create the AR so that it will be part of the screen shot that is submitted with the AR.

 

Edited October 9, 2018 by LittleMe Jewell

[Vanagew]

On 5/8/2018 at 1:49 AM, rav3nw1ld said:

some child avatar's have a foul mouth which is wrong too plus they act all innocent but are far from it

I'm confused, were you trying to describe SL children or real life children? Seems you have described both.

On 5/8/2018 at 1:49 AM, rav3nw1ld said:

if child avatar's do not like this then don't pretend to be a child be adult.what they play on is the simpathy a child would get and the attention that it seek's.

I don't think any child avi genuinely tries to play that card as we all know everyone on here is an adult behind the screen. That kind of act would not truly fool anyone.

On 5/8/2018 at 1:49 AM, rav3nw1ld said:

restricting child avatar's to PG rated sims only The child is what it plays no matter what age it is if you play a child avatar then restriction's should be in place.

There already are restrictions in place, quite reasonable ones that cover all eventualities. I don't see how restricting child avis to General rated sims is going to make things any safer than what they already are.

On 5/8/2018 at 1:49 AM, rav3nw1ld said:

SO LINDEN LAB'S LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU AND DON'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT YOU TOO ARE RESPONSIBLE BY ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN COMMON SENSE TELL'S YOU TO PROTECT  CHILD AVI'S   SO  RESTRICT THEIR AGE AS A CHILD  IN REAL LIFE ( PG RATED) YOU WOULDN'T LET YOUR OWN CHILDREN GO TO AN ADULT PLACE NOW WOULD YOU ?

Could you please spare the use of the caps lock/shift button? Child avis like myself already avoid adult places and sex sims because of the current rules in place. You are blowing this issue completely out of proportion.

[Jaide Beck]

On 1/12/2012 at 11:05 PM, Peggy Paperdoll said:

What are Linden Lab's policies towards Child Avatars

Specific policies about child avatars can be found in section 8.2.iii of the Terms of Service. Additional information on the policies concerning ***** can be found elsewhere on this wiki.

Stuff to do: This section was compiled by Residents and NEEDS to cite specific sources to substantiate Linden Lab's stance and avoid confusion. Knowledge Base articles or secondlife.com legal documents are required; "I heard it from a friend" or "I got it on a notecard" are NOT acceptable. Otherwise, DO NOT consider the below to be accurate, official policy. -Torley

 

 

Policies towards child avatars are largely focused on the actions of the avatars, not the avatars themselves.

Child avatars are allowed within Second Life.[1] A child avatar, even within a mature or adult region (but not participating in adult (in this case, sexual) ) activities is allowed. A child avatar is allowed do everything any other avatar is, with the following exceptions:

• Child avatars in sexual situations (sexual congress obviously, though it is unclear beyond this) are not allowed and abuse reportable (ARable).

• Public promotion (classified listing, profile, etc.) of sexual situations with child avatars is not allowed and ARable.

• Creating areas for the purpose of sexual ***** is not allowed and is ARable. This includes having items with sexual content (sexual poseballs or equipment) in proximity to items traditionally associated with children (swingsets, etc.)

• Indicating that the *real age* of a child avatar (as opposed to a stated SL/role playing age) is below main grid age is not allowed and ARable.

• Child avatar nudity has been called into question as well. While no language specific to nudity was included in the initial policies, child avatar nudity of the genital or chest regions, including in otherwise non-sexual situations (skin vendors, for example) can be a violation. This also applies to parcel descriptions: nudity or "clothing optional" language can not be included in a parcel description on a kid-specific area.

Note that child avatars are allowed on PG, Mature, and even Adult public parcels, provided with the latter that they are adult verified. Note that this does not necessarily apply to private parcels where one has the option to eject or ban as desired. The allowance of child avatars on adult rated land such as Zindra does not invalidate any of the above rules.

As with all things, context is key, and err on the side of caution.

 

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Child_Avatar

 

-------------

On 10/9/2018 at 5:23 AM, Yasojith said:

I doubt that after reading the following from Second Life wiki regarding child avatar.

• Child avatar nudity has been called into question as well. While no language specific to nudity was included in the initial policies, child avatar nudity of the genital or chest regions, including in otherwise non-sexual situations (skin vendors, for example) can be a violation. This also applies to parcel descriptions: nudity or "clothing optional" language can not be included in a parcel description on a kid-specific area. Source: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Child_Avatar

That means, nude child avatar standing in nude beach "can be a violation". Even showing nude skins of a child avatar in skin vendor "can be a violation". 

-----------------

 

So, the answer is "YES".

 

Well, I get tired of people saying Tos you're going against tos when kids are around, just because they are in an adult region doens't make them going against TOS, some stores are in adult, some regions parents live in are adult, true, I'd rather be on general or M, but ... sometimes there's things in other places to go to.

 

[Jaide Beck]

On 5/7/2018 at 9:49 AM, rav3nw1ld said:

The sooner The better linden lab's conform to this the better it will be , restricting child avatar's to PG rated sims only The child is what it plays no matter what age it is if you play a child avatar then restriction's should be in place.

This should go without saying for the safety of those concerned if child avatar's do not like this then don't pretend to be a child be adult.what they play on is the simpathy a child would get and the attention that it seek's.

keep them out of  M RATED  AND  ADULT SIM'S and some child avatar's have a foul mouth which is wrong too plus they act all innocent but are far from it since they are  people that are usually around the age of consent playing them.  SO LINDEN LAB'S LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU AND DON'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT YOU TOO ARE RESPONSIBLE BY ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN COMMON SENSE TELL'S YOU TO PROTECT  CHILD AVI'S   SO  RESTRICT THEIR AGE AS A CHILD  IN REAL LIFE ( PG RATED) YOU WOULDN'T LET YOUR OWN CHILDREN GO TO AN ADULT PLACE NOW WOULD YOU ?

 

Why should children have to be  on PG areas? There are lots of things in other places, stores, gardens, arcades, etc. This is just right to try and restrict.

[Alwin Alcott]

12 minutes ago, Jaide Beck said:

Why

yes... also wondering here why you resurect/quote threads about very clear ruled subjects.

[Jaide Beck]

1 minute ago, Alwin Alcott said:

yes... also wondering here why you resurect/quote threads about very clear ruled subjects.

I just came upon it, I didn't realize how Old it was. :s

[Lindal Kidd]

9 hours ago, Jaide Beck said:

Why should children have to be  on PG areas? There are lots of things in other places, stores, gardens, arcades, etc. This is just right to try and restrict.

Jaide, a lot of the people in this (old) thread were stating their opinions, not actual LL policy.

However, land owners are free to implement their own policies about who can visit their land, as long as that doesn't conflict with LL's policy.  So, you will find some Adult places where child avatars are free to visit as long as they aren't engaged in "sexual activities".  You will also find Adult places where child avatars are not allowed, period. 

If you're normally a child avatar, and want to visit such places, there's a very simple solution:  put on an adult avatar temporarily.  Enjoy your party or show, shop at any stores you want, and then leave and put your normal avatar back on.

Railing against local land owners' policies gets you nowhere and only raises your blood pressure.

[Jaide Beck]

13 hours ago, Lindal Kidd said:

Jaide, a lot of the people in this (old) thread were stating their opinions, not actual LL policy.

However, land owners are free to implement their own policies about who can visit their land, as long as that doesn't conflict with LL's policy.  So, you will find some Adult places where child avatars are free to visit as long as they aren't engaged in "sexual activities".  You will also find Adult places where child avatars are not allowed, period. 

If you're normally a child avatar, and want to visit such places, there's a very simple solution:  put on an adult avatar temporarily.  Enjoy your party or show, shop at any stores you want, and then leave and put your normal avatar back on.

Railing against local land owners' policies gets you nowhere and only raises your blood pressure.

I realize that, but kids get a bad rep without doing anything. I just trying to share mine, but this is so old.

[Yasojith]

On 9/12/2018 at 9:39 AM, LittleMe Jewell said:

One additional note -- nudity, in and of itself, is not considered "sexual content".  Child avatars are allowed on nude beaches, but there must be no sexual activity going on and no sexual objects in the vicinity.

I doubt that after reading the following from Second Life wiki regarding child avatar.

• Child avatar nudity has been called into question as well. While no language specific to nudity was included in the initial policies, child avatar nudity of the genital or chest regions, including in otherwise non-sexual situations (skin vendors, for example) can be a violation. This also applies to parcel descriptions: nudity or "clothing optional" language can not be included in a parcel description on a kid-specific area. Source: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Child_Avatar

That means, nude child avatar standing in nude beach "can be a violation". Even showing nude skins of a child avatar in skin vendor "can be a violation". 

[rav3nw1ld]

1 minute ago, Ethan Paslong said:

THIS is the kids policy... :

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Teens_in_Second_Life

 

all others are considered to be ADULTS.

ch*ld play is something totally different and as far i seen in all my SL years always taken serious care for and is looked at by the abuse teams.

But... thinking something is not ok, does not always mean it is really not ok. LL has in general excellent ways to have a look at that.

And of course.. like everywhere, sometimes things go wrong. If you encounter the same situation, with the same people, AR again... but stay to the facts, not venting about a sore toenail... and not in CAPS

 

i voice how i feel regardless of cap's and as for kid's linden labs should clamp down on it  rules or no rules there a child avi for god sake so stick to what you play

[rav3nw1ld]

The sooner The better linden lab's conform to this the better it will be , restricting child avatar's to PG rated sims only The child is what it plays no matter what age it is if you play a child avatar then restriction's should be in place.

This should go without saying for the safety of those concerned if child avatar's do not like this then don't pretend to be a child be adult.what they play on is the simpathy a child would get and the attention that it seek's.

keep them out of  M RATED  AND  ADULT SIM'S and some child avatar's have a foul mouth which is wrong too plus they act all innocent but are far from it since they are  people that are usually around the age of consent playing them.  SO LINDEN LAB'S LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU AND DON'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT YOU TOO ARE RESPONSIBLE BY ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN COMMON SENSE TELL'S YOU TO PROTECT  CHILD AVI'S   SO  RESTRICT THEIR AGE AS A CHILD  IN REAL LIFE ( PG RATED) YOU WOULDN'T LET YOUR OWN CHILDREN GO TO AN ADULT PLACE NOW WOULD YOU ?